Skype deal closes

In a keynote speech at Buyouts West conference last week, Silver Lake Partners co-founder and Chairman Jim Davidson announced that the firm closed its deal for Skype, the largest investment in the firm’s history.

Silver Lake led the consortium that bought the Internet communications company for $2.75 billion.

The deal received its final approval from Turkish antitrust authorities, Davidson said. He didn’t disclose any details about the transaction, which met some roadblocks after the company’s founders sued to stop the sale. On Nov. 6, Silver Lake and [most of] its partners agreed to a settlement with the founders, who will receive a 14% stake in the transaction.

Silver Lake agreed to purchase Skype from eBay alongside Andreessen Horowitz and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. That group now owns 56% of Skype, with eBay retaining 30 percent. Original consortium partner Index Ventures left as part of the founder settlement. —Erin Griffith